Blatche is thus now sure to join the Philippine national basketball team in their campaign in the FIBA World Cup in August.

He will be the second naturalized player in the Gilas pool, along with Marcus Douthit, who helped the team seal a trip to the FIBA World Cup with a silver-medal finish in the FIBA Asia Championships last year.

The American-born Blatche had just wrapped up a brief visit to Manila, which saw him thank the Senate, get to know some of his Gilas Pilipinas teammates, and watch a PBA game. -- With a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News